Leadership Team
Nick Thomson, Ph.D.
Salpi Kevorkian, MS.
Salpi Kevorkian, MS.
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Thomson is a developmental psychologist and professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. He specializes in intervention development for youth and adults. He is a licensed psychotherapist, and has over a decade of clinical experience. His research has been funded by the Centers for Disease Control
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Thomson is a developmental psychologist and professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. He specializes in intervention development for youth and adults. He is a licensed psychotherapist, and has over a decade of clinical experience. His research has been funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and Department of Justice. He has authored over 50 peer-review papers and chapters on mental health, including two psychology textbooks. Dr. Thomson was one of the first to publish using virtual reality to understand antisocial behavior in youth and adults, as well as developed a VR Distress Tolerance intervention to reduce healthcare staff burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Salpi Kevorkian, MS.
Salpi Kevorkian, MS.
Salpi Kevorkian, MS.
Director of Operations
Salpi received a Master’s of Science in Strategic Communications from Columbia University. A certified executive and team coach, she has also received training in positive psychology coaching. She has significant experience working across large-scale research and communications-based projects across sectors. Salpi’s
Director of Operations
Salpi received a Master’s of Science in Strategic Communications from Columbia University. A certified executive and team coach, she has also received training in positive psychology coaching. She has significant experience working across large-scale research and communications-based projects across sectors. Salpi’s varied research background at various academic medical centers has led to a number of academic publications. Salpi has worked on virtual reality intervention and development centered on mental and behavioral health with a variety of scientists and clinicians since 2019. She is currently in the process of completing her doctoral degree at Florida International University.
Jason Bennett
Salpi Kevorkian, MS.
Jason Bennett
Director of Visual Design
Jason Bennett is a Game Artist, Animator, and Illustrator, and Professor of Arts. His work has appeared in international projects including Bioshock Infinite, Shadow of the Colossus (PS4), Madden NFL (series, multiple SKUs), Settlers of Catan (VR), and more. Clients have included: Sony, Electronic Arts, Insomniac
Director of Visual Design
Jason Bennett is a Game Artist, Animator, and Illustrator, and Professor of Arts. His work has appeared in international projects including Bioshock Infinite, Shadow of the Colossus (PS4), Madden NFL (series, multiple SKUs), Settlers of Catan (VR), and more. Clients have included: Sony, Electronic Arts, Insomniac Games, Ubisoft, 2K Games, Major League Baseball, Wizards of the Coast, Def Jam Recordings, Smosh, Kabam, and NASA.
Bennett earned his BFA from the Ringling College of Design, majoring in Computer Animation, and has studied illustration and classical figurative art throughout the East Coast, including the School of Visual Arts, the Art Students League, and Grand Central Atelier. He now enjoys living in Richmond, exploring VA’s trails and waterways, observational painting, game dev, and teaching with VCU (VCUarts : Communication Arts, 2016-current).
Chris Tiller
Salpi Kevorkian, MS.
Jason Bennett
Research Analyst Director
Chris Tiller is a senior research administration analyst, specializing in both pre-award advance submissions and multimillion dollar post-award research portfolios. Chris has significant post-award financial and compliance management experience, and has managed in excess of $50M in active federal, state, industry,
Research Analyst Director
Chris Tiller is a senior research administration analyst, specializing in both pre-award advance submissions and multimillion dollar post-award research portfolios. Chris has significant post-award financial and compliance management experience, and has managed in excess of $50M in active federal, state, industry, and non-profit projects. He has several years of both clinical and non-clinical research experience, as well. Tiller obtained a degree in Finance, from Virginia Commonwealth University, and is working towards an advanced degree in Statistics and Econometrics. In addition to research, Chris spent time in the investment banking industry. His area of expertise is within sell-side M&A market valuations.
Scientists and Clinical Team
Scott Vrana, Ph.D.
Jasmin Vassileva, Ph.D.
Scott Vrana, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Dr. Vrana is a clinical psychologist whose primary research interests is the study of emotion and social interaction from an information processing and psychophysiology perspective. Dr. Vrana has over 40 years of experience studying emotion and emotion processing including with the measurement, analysis, and interpretati
Research Scientist
Dr. Vrana is a clinical psychologist whose primary research interests is the study of emotion and social interaction from an information processing and psychophysiology perspective. Dr. Vrana has over 40 years of experience studying emotion and emotion processing including with the measurement, analysis, and interpretation of autonomic and somatic psychophysiological indices, including facial EMG, the startle reflex response, and the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Dr. Vrana's research has been funded by the NIMH and NICHD. Dr Vrana has extensive research and clinical experience with individuals across the developmental spectrum, with clinical expertise in the assessment and treatment of internalizing disorders, particularly anxiety and related disorders, in children, adolescents, and adults.
Erin Berenz, Ph.D.
Jasmin Vassileva, Ph.D.
Scott Vrana, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Dr. Berenz is a licensed clinical psychologist whose primary expertise is in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and co-occurring alcohol and substance use. She has over a decade of clinical research experience, most recently as an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and her w
Research Scientist
Dr. Berenz is a licensed clinical psychologist whose primary expertise is in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and co-occurring alcohol and substance use. She has over a decade of clinical research experience, most recently as an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and her work has been funded by the NIH and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. She currently is focused on helping community organizations implement and evaluate science-based trauma interventions through her independent consulting practice.
Brad Bushman, Ph.D.
Jasmin Vassileva, Ph.D.
Jasmin Vassileva, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Dr. Bushman is a professor of communication at The Ohio State University. He has studied aggression and violence for over 30 years. He is the Editor of the American Psychological Association (APA) journal Psychology of Violence. He has co-chaired two reports on youth violence following school shootings and has testified
Research Scientist
Dr. Bushman is a professor of communication at The Ohio State University. He has studied aggression and violence for over 30 years. He is the Editor of the American Psychological Association (APA) journal Psychology of Violence. He has co-chaired two reports on youth violence following school shootings and has testified before Congress on the topic. He has published over 250 articles that have been cited over 65,000 times. His research has been funded by federal grants (e.g., CDC, NSF, NIH), has been published in the top scientific and medical journals (e.g., Science, PNAS, JAMA), has won three APA awards, and has been featured extensively in the mass media (e.g., BBC, NPR, New York Times).
Jasmin Vassileva, Ph.D.
Jasmin Vassileva, Ph.D.
Jasmin Vassileva, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Dr. Vassileva's a clinical neuropsychologist whose research investigates personality and neurocognitive risk factors for drug addiction and neurocognitive sequelae of chronic drug use. Over the past fifteen years her research has focused more closely on impulsivity, a complex and multidimensional construct with distinct
Research Scientist
Dr. Vassileva's a clinical neuropsychologist whose research investigates personality and neurocognitive risk factors for drug addiction and neurocognitive sequelae of chronic drug use. Over the past fifteen years her research has focused more closely on impulsivity, a complex and multidimensional construct with distinct personality, psychiatric, and neurocognitive dimensions, implicated both as an antecedent risk factor and a consequence of chronic drug use. Vassileva's studies integrate neurocognitive, neuroimaging, personality, psychiatric, genetic, and computational approaches with the aim to determine which of the multiple dimensions of impulsivity are common across addictions and which are unique to specific classes of drugs. Dr. Vassileva's research has been continuously funded by NIDA and the Fogarty International Center since 2003.
Dennis Reidy, Ph.D.
David C. Schwebel, Ph.D.
Dennis Reidy, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Dr. Reidy's research focuses on informing, developing, and evaluating innovative interventions to prevent violence and associated delinquency outcomes (e.g., substance use, risky sexual behavior, mental health, etc.) and promote health and well-being. He is particularly interested in investigating cross-cutting risk and
Research Scientist
Dr. Reidy's research focuses on informing, developing, and evaluating innovative interventions to prevent violence and associated delinquency outcomes (e.g., substance use, risky sexual behavior, mental health, etc.) and promote health and well-being. He is particularly interested in investigating cross-cutting risk and protective factors to inform the development of prevention strategies that will impact multiple health outcomes. Dr. Reidy has worked as a scientist in the Division of Violence Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Kostas Fanti, Ph.D.
David C. Schwebel, Ph.D.
Dennis Reidy, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Dr. Fanti is a developmental psychologist whose work combines sophisticated quantitative methods with innovative experimental and neurophysiological assessments of brain activity, heart rate, skin conductance, electromyography, eye gaze, and facial expressions aimed at advancing the understanding of mental health problem
Research Scientist
Dr. Fanti is a developmental psychologist whose work combines sophisticated quantitative methods with innovative experimental and neurophysiological assessments of brain activity, heart rate, skin conductance, electromyography, eye gaze, and facial expressions aimed at advancing the understanding of mental health problems. He has served as the principal investigator on multiple grants investigating the development of child, adolescent, and adult psychopathology, and has published more than 150 peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters. His research focuses on novel neurobiological interventions for individuals at risk for diverse mental health problems.
James Bjork, Ph.D.
David C. Schwebel, Ph.D.
David C. Schwebel, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Dr. Bjork is a neuroscientist and former program official in NIDA’s Division of Clinical Neuroscience and Behavioral Research and as NIH Science Officer of the Human Connectome Project. Dr. Bjork's research is in impulsivity as a cause and consequence of drug and alcohol addiction and suicidality in Veterans and other p
Research Scientist
Dr. Bjork is a neuroscientist and former program official in NIDA’s Division of Clinical Neuroscience and Behavioral Research and as NIH Science Officer of the Human Connectome Project. Dr. Bjork's research is in impulsivity as a cause and consequence of drug and alcohol addiction and suicidality in Veterans and other populations. He also studies the impact of virtual reality on addiction treatment at the Richmond VA, as well as the development of motivation and self-control brain circuitry in normal adolescents and in adolescents at risk for addiction. His research has been funded by NIDA and the Virginia Veteran Affairs.
David C. Schwebel, Ph.D.
David C. Schwebel, Ph.D.
David C. Schwebel, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Dr. Schwebel is a licensed clinical psychologist, with a background in child and adolescent development and mental health, but particular expertise in understanding and preventing accidental injuries to children. He has authored over 375 peer-reviewed papers and 4 books, including the parenting book, Raising Kids who Ch
Research Scientist
Dr. Schwebel is a licensed clinical psychologist, with a background in child and adolescent development and mental health, but particular expertise in understanding and preventing accidental injuries to children. He has authored over 375 peer-reviewed papers and 4 books, including the parenting book, Raising Kids who Choose Safety. Dr. Schwebel is a Woodrow Wilson Scholar, a Fulbright Awardee, and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. His research program applies VR to address injury prevention, including using simulated pedestrian environments to teach children to cross streets, which has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Dean J. Krusienski, Ph.D.
Dean J. Krusienski, Ph.D.
Dean J. Krusienski, Ph.D.
Engineering Consultant
Dean J. Krusienski received the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering. His research focus is on the application of advanced signal processing and pattern recognition techniques to brain-computer interfaces, which allow individuals with severe neuromuscular disabilities to communicate and interact wi
Engineering Consultant
Dean J. Krusienski received the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering. His research focus is on the application of advanced signal processing and pattern recognition techniques to brain-computer interfaces, which allow individuals with severe neuromuscular disabilities to communicate and interact with their environments using their brainwaves. His research interests include decoding and translation of neural signals, digital signal and image processing, machine learning, and biomedical and musical applications. His research is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA)/NASA.